Neko Love 25. Dog Demon Unleashed!

Author:

Disclaimer: I don’t own Ranma!

Chapter 25

Dog Demon unleashed!

Down in the mountainside in a bubbling pool two teenagers looked at each other unsure what to think. One moment they had been arguing the next they leapt half clothed hugging each other into the hot spring.

Ukyo jumped to the predictable conclusion. “PERVERT!” She slapped him across the cheek her own face red with embarrassment. Her top had been opened to reveal her now unbound chest and Ryoga was just staring the trickle of blood coming down his nose.

Ryoga took the hit and sunk his head into the water. The sight of Ukyo’s chest had been enough to make his thoughts go rampant. ‘Wait, Ukyo leapt into my arms, does that mean she loves me?’

“Hey, don’t drown!” Ukyo snarled angry at his lack of defence. “We still have to get back to Ranma!”

“...Ugmmm.” Ryoga gulped, they had a nice jiggle he noticed when she tried to hit him.

“This is not normal, what the hell did Akane do?” Ukyo snapped turning her back to Ryoga and trying to keep herself covered up.

“Why do you always blame Akane?” Ryoga snapped, “She’s such a sweet innocent girl she would never do anything to hurt anyone!”

“You really are deluded, Pig-boy!” Ukyo snarled. “You are better off with that sweet girl Akari if you want a real person like that!”

At the mention of the name Akari, Ryoga was thrown into a whirlwind of guilt. His pig loving-fiancée was waiting for him at the Tendo home. She had no idea that he would be here half-naked in a hot spring with the most hated girl he ever knew. ‘Yeah that’s right I can’t stand Ukyo, what really annoys me is the way she never thinks that sometimes Ranma is to blame. He’s never as innocent as she believes.’

“Don’t mention Akari!” Ryoga huffed; he pulled himself out of the pool keeping his back to Ukyo. He hated her so much just now. When they first met he had assumed she was a boy but that was quickly disproved by Ranma flashing her chest. He had a re-run of the incident in his head, which made his nose bleed worse.

“I hate seeing girls taken advantage of!” Ukyo snapped. “You’re worse than Ranma’s Dad!”

Ryoga choked his objection to that remark but the nosebleed was getting in the way.

“She thinks she’s got a chance with you, yet here you are in the wilderness hugging ME while on the pretence of protecting Akane and Ranma from each other. When in truth all you want is for Akane to come to you. I bet you even have fantasies of BOTH Akane and Akari with you!”

Ryoga grimaced he couldn’t hide from that fact. “Fine, whatever you think Ukyo.” He got up turning his back. “I’m going back to find Ranma and Akane and demand an explanation.”

“Good idea, then we’ll see who’s to blame.”

*

There wasn’t anyone to blame, that’s what Cologne thought, no one to blame but herself. She should have seen this coming. Shampoo’s infatuation with Ranma was now out of hand and the release of the dog-demon was the result. Even after the Phoenix Mountain she should have done something to help curb Shampoo’s dangerous thoughts about Ranma.

He was in love with Akane; he had screamed it out when he thought she had died. It was true once he found out Akane was alive he backtracked and tried to hide what he had said. But it HAD been said, Cologne was feeling bitter at not trying harder to protect her granddaughter’s heart. She was a broken woman now, trying this last ditch attempt at getting Ranma.

‘The foolish, foolish girl.’

Cologne was not unknown to heart break, when she was younger she had a lot of suitors that were after her. It was just natural being so beautiful but she had come out of it stronger and she did find a husband eventually. But she had her hopes settled on another man of the village, a shame he was so weak and couldn’t defeat her.

The old woman shook herself free of these thoughts. She couldn’t let herself get distracted. The beast wasn’t behind her but it had got hold of her scent. It knew she existed. She had to find Ranma or someone to help snap Shampoo back into her old self. There was a slim chance and it all depended on Mousse being alive.

‘Be alive you weak idiot...’ Cologne muttered as she hurried through the woods.

*

The male Amazon was alive but only just. Mousse groaned awake, the shock to his body still making it hard to move. He was conscious but he couldn’t move. His whole body had been paralysed by whatever Shampoo had struck him with. His glasses had fallen off and everything was fuzzy, he squinted at the silhouette.

He gasped to try and say the name of the woman he loved. The words never came his vocal cords were in pain.

Shampoo was still in the trance, her eyes locked on the distance. She was connected to the demon dog as it used her as a gateway into the world. Her large eyes were red but tears streamed down her cheeks. The pain that she was feeling on the inside was obvious.

Mousse couldn’t see that clearly but he knew Shampoo was there, this time his instinct was correct. Though he was looking at a Buddha statue, she was right next to it.

Almost unseen though Shampoo’s eyes flickered back to her original colour and she glanced at the fallen Mousse. Then as soon as it happened her eyes were snapped back into the original position.

The dog had sensed someone, something that was to be its prey. The twinkling a dying campfire drew it closer and all Shampoo could do was watch and guide the demon. Closer and closer towards a campsite in the woods, the camp fire giving out a beacon glow attracting her near. It guided the beast made it go towards it.

A high pitched howl echoed around the temple. The Prey had been found!

**

Ranma didn’t know how long he had been sheltering with Akane under the tent for. It was quiet except for the spatter of rain on the canvas. There had been a time when he loathed the rain, when he hated it so much because it changed him into that other body. It didn’t matter to him now, he loved the rain. It was giving him a chance to cuddle Akane and keep her warm. She snuggled her head down against him and he kept his arm wrapped tight around her. He dare not move in case he squeezed something she thought she shouldn’t. But then considering they had already had sex, be it in Neko possession this was the closest he had gotten and stayed for a long time.

“Do you remember the first time I saw you Ranma?” Akane asked.

“Heh...” Ranma laughed nervously.

“You were in your girl form and so angry at your Dad,” she said in a hushed voice. “I was mad at my own Dad as well, we both don’t want this arranged marriage.”

“Heh heh...” Ranma continued the nervous laugh unable to say anything else, he hated to think where this was going.

“I wish we could have met without those circumstances, I’d liked to have known you just as you are not as the fiancée I was going to be forced to marry.”

“Me too Akane,” Ranma sighed glad she wasn’t going anywhere too scary. “To be honest I didn’t really ...eh...like you when I first met you...” Akane stiffened but Ranma continued. “ I just thought you were a good friend to make, then I sorta blew it and you walked in on me naked.”

“I thought you were a girl...” Akane growled.

“But, but I was going to tell you all after I had my bath!” Ranma said, “Listen hear me out first before you jump to conclusions again and get all angry.” He clamped his hand over Akane’s mouth and she stared up at him wide eyed, both in anger and fear. She didn’t like being held down by any boy, but she kept her trust in Ranma a little bit longer though it was fading fast.

“I was going to leave for China that night but something stopped me, a table.”

Akane looked at Ranma strangely. “Ah tble?” She mumbled her mouth still covered.

“Yeah you cracked that huge table over my head and caught me off guard, no other girl has ever done that to me before. I guess that was the first time I sorta felt that ...eh... way.”

“You really are a pervert...” Akane sighed as she pulled his hand away from her. “I only really felt anything when you called me uncute the first time... I got mad. I wanted, I wanted you to call me... cute.” She blushed and tried to hide the fact. She had some horrible feeling that despite all these latest breakthroughs they had made it would all come crashing back to the chaos of before with just one incident.

“Akane, do you hear that...?”

A faint high pitched howl broke out in the background.

‘No, it’s so quiet and peaceful, not now!’

“I’ll go check it out.” Ranma said. “I don’t want any vermin getting our food.”

“Look maybe it’s just a fox, leave it be.” Akane said.

Ranma peered outside the tent his head getting wet making him shrink into the female form. He glanced around the campsite. The fire was now just a warm pile of cinders. ‘Maybe it was a fox.’ Ranma thought. She looked around and then let out a high pitched scream.

A horrifying monster glared at him white hair billowing out like an overgrown mane.

“Ahhh a Ghoul!!”

“Shut up BOY!” Cologne snapped and quickly stepped into the tent, “Come inside it’s not safe...”

Ranma chuckled as she let herself be dragged in. She hadn’t really been scared but it was funny just seeing both Akane and Cologne’s face.

“Ranma you really scared me!” Akane snapped.

“Heh, heh but it was worth it.” She grinned.

A high pitched howl rumbled just outside. Akane glared at Ranma but she realised that it wasn’t another one of his tricks. Ranma was looking confused, but Cologne looked whiter than usual.

“Damn it’s here, there’s no time...” The old woman muttered.

“What do you mean there’s no time?” Ranma asked.

“Is it Shampoo here to kill Ranma?” Akane added.

“In a way...” Cologne nodded. “We have to escape and get the others, I suppose Pig boy and that okinomiyaki girl are here too.”

“Yeah how did you know?” Ranma said amazed. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on or are we...”

Ranma stopped speaking, Cologne’s cane pinned her in a frozen position. Her stick had hit another pressure point and Ranma was helpless. Akane cried out but Cologne was too fast, she pushed Ranma to the other side of the tent and pressed something against her head.

“You’re not strong enough to fight it boy, but the Neko-Ken might be a good form of distraction.”

The item Cologne pressed was a Chinese cat symbol. A loud cat wail emanated from the red head as the Neko-Ken was unleashed. Akane squealed in fear, she didn’t want anymore of this!

“Why are you doing this!” She yelled. Ranma jumped onto Akane and purred happily but she suddenly paused from purring and twitched her head from side to side.

“Yes, so you feel it now...” Cologne said grimly. “Shampoo has unleashed something so powerful that not even the Neko-Ken can defeat it. Our only hope is to distract it while we escape.”

Ranma hissed as she felt it getting closer.

“I’m not leaving Ranma!” Akane shouted. “If the Neko-Ken can’t defeat this thing then I’m going to stay to help Ranma!”

“He’ll come to you girl, you’re his mate, which is why we have to leave!” Cologne grabbed Akane and hopped out of the tent. Akane screamed in terror, she could hear some horrible snarling, though she couldn’t see where the monster was.

“RAAANNNMMMAAA!!”

Ranma yowled in frustration, the smelly old one had taken his mate! Though Neko-Ranma could sense the enemy was close.

There was a yapping noise and the tent moved as something small struggled to sneak into the tent. Neko-Ranma arched his back and hissed again. This thing smelled bad. It smelt worse than the old one. She usually felt the need to fight but this time was different. This felt more dangerous and her instinct was telling her to run. This was an old enemy, run, don’t fight.

She swiped her claws at the tent and leapt out of the hole. If her instincts told her to run, then she obeyed. The howl cried out again and sent shivers down the possessed Ranma. Something flew underneath him and knocked her off her feet. She hit the tree and the wood made a cracking noise from the impact.

Two glowing eyes focused on the girl/boy/cat. Neko-Ranma shook herself and she leapt up into the tree. The dark shadow circled the tree growling and snarling. Neko-Ranma looked down and tried to see where she could run to next. She let out a loud meow of annoyance. She was trapped! There was nowhere else to go. The branches of the tree were too slim for her to climb onto the next tree to escape.

Akane looked back as she was carried by Cologne, something was wrong. If Ranma was fighting with the Neko-Ken he wouldn’t meow like that. The fight normally was accompanied by loud hisses and angry yowls. This was different, this was like that time her neighbours cat had been chased up the tree by the local dog Bess. The meow was the same helpless mew of a lost kitten.

“Ranma’s in trouble!” Akane snapped and pulled at the Elder Amazon’s grip. She was released and rolled onto the ground gasping as she felt pangs of pain from the impact.

“No child wait!” Cologne cried but she cursed under her breath Akane had already run back to the campsite. “Does no one listen to a word I say?”

Neko-Ranma yowled again, the thing was trying to leap up the tree but it couldn’t climb. She tried to position herself so she could attempt to leap to the next tree. She had to try something, her mate was waiting for her!

She crawled slowly on her four limbs and balanced, this would need exact timing to get this to work. She lifted the back and examined her path. She was about to leap when the tree suddenly jolted to the side. The Hell hound had tackled the side of the tree and it was now creaking and moving. The dog snarled again and came up for another run.

Neko-Ranma let out a yelp, the tree was going to fall!

“RAANNMMAAA!!”

She looked to who was calling her. Akane was running down the forest hill waving to her. It was obvious she was trying to distract the dog. She hissed in frustration and leapt down to the ground. She had to save her mate!

Akane panted for breath it was working, the dog had turned round and left Ranma behind. Her fiancée had a chance to escape. There was one big problem though, the dog was now heading towards her at a high speed.

“Oh no!” She turned and began running up the hill. “Stupid, stupid me, why do I keep doing this for Ranma!”

She could hear the four legs of the beast behind her, it was too fast. It was going to catch up to her soon! This would be the end for her!

‘Ranma, I wish we could have had just one real kiss together...’ she thought feeling her last regrets building. Whatever that little demon dog could do it would kill her and then move onto Ranma. There was nothing she could do except to keep running.

The panting breath got closer and closer, Akane let out a squeal and tried to go faster. She didn’t want to die! Not yet! Not when things were almost right with Ranma!

She felt herself getting knocked from behind and she stumbled and cried out in pain. This was it!

This was when she was still travelling fast.

A howl was let out behind her and she looked to see what had knocked her down and picked her up. It was Neko-Ranma, she hugged the back of her head and let out a sigh of relief.

“Ranma!”

“Ywrrll!” She cried to her mate.

“You can stop now!” Cologne shouted.

Akane looked across to see the old Amazon hopping beside them on a cane. Neko-Ranma let out a hiss.

“The dog has retreated, it must have fed too well on those other people from earlier.”

“Ranma stop!” Akane pleaded, she put her foot down onto the ground and tripped Ranma up. They tumbled to a stop and Ranma landed on top of Akane meowing happily.

The rain had now stopped but the ground was still wet and Akane tried to pick herself up. However Neko-Ranma wanted her to stay still. She pinned her down and was making the strange mewing sound again.

“Ranma....” Akane gasped. ‘Not again, not in front of Cologne of all people!’ She cuddled Ranma to her chest and tried to calm her down. She felt her rubbing herself against her chest and sighed.

“I’ll keep watch, just make sure that boy wakes up soon.” Cologne said. “We need to get back to the camp and dry off.”

Akane agreed but she couldn’t speak as she was being crushed by the over amorous Neko-Ranma.

“Ranma wake up please...” She kissed the red head’s forehead. “Wake up...” Akane kissed her cheek, she could hear a happy mew from Ranma. It was working, she was calming down. The need for sex to calm down seemed to be going. ‘I wonder if this is because of our conversation or the fact that we’ve already had sex now...’ Akane thought. She tilted her head up to kiss her lips when she caught a glimpse of her eyes.

Ranma was looking back at her red faced and not mewing. The possession was gone and she was back to her old self again.

“Um...” Akane tried to find the words. “Um... welcome back.”

“Eh... did we do it again?” Ranma whispered.

Akane shook her head and bit her lip she was so close to kissing Ranma! Even worse Ranma as a girl!

“Ah good,” Ranma sat up and stretched. “What happened?”

“Perhaps it will be best explained back at the camp, boy.” Cologne said. “Good to see you came out of the Neko-Ken without any sexual gratification. Seems you too have made some sort of progress.” The old woman began chuckling as she saw the two jump up and stand at arms length from each other. “Oh I swear the Japanese shyness gives me all sorts of amusement.”

Ranma and Akane looked across from each other and smiled.

“Guess we’ve got ourselves into another dangerous situation.” Ranma said, he looked away and held out his hand. “Eh, lets go back to the camp. Seems the old ghoul knows something.”

Akane nodded and took Ranma’s hand. “Sure,”

The two followed the old Amazon and the storm clouds that had stopped raining continued to stir above them.

**

Author’s Note: I am so sorry this took so long, not even I expected the gap to be a year! I wish I was a student again and had more time to write but this full time job is keeping me really busy. Plus lots of other things that are too personal to mention happened. Life sucks is all can say. Be glad I still live and came out with this chapter!

Next chapter, The Demon Dog returns but will Ranma and everyone come up with a good plan?